A Reddit put up a few supervisor asking an worker to work throughout his bereavement depart has stirred recent outrage on-line, highlighting the continued considerations round poisonous managerial practices in Indian workplaces.
The nameless person recounted his expertise at a advertising and marketing company the place he had labored for 2 years. Regardless of common function reshuffling, extra duties resulting from layoffs, and funds constraints, he mentioned he stayed dedicated as a result of he loved the work and his group.
However the tipping level got here when he knowledgeable his supervisor about his grandfather’s passing. His message learn: “Morning sir, my nana handed away final evening, gained’t have the ability to come to the workplace as we speak.” Whereas the supervisor initially responded with sympathy — “So sorry to listen to that. Take the time without work”—he rapidly adopted up with: “However we’re onboarding a few shoppers as we speak. Are you able to keep on the induction name?” And moments later: “Be energetic on WhatsApp as nicely and pitch in with the designers each time wanted?”
Annoyed by the dearth of empathy, the worker wrote: “Do managers neglect that we’re folks and never simply machines churning out outcomes?”
The put up struck a nerve, racking up tons of of feedback. Many customers shared comparable experiences or voiced assist. One commenter urged him to confront the behaviour: “When you don’t, he’ll assume his behaviour is justifiable.” One other recommended a daring exit technique: “Put the screenshot in your resignation e-mail and mark the CEO.”
Some responses mirrored broader disillusionment with work tradition in India. “Due to this ‘Chalta hai’ and ‘Slavery’ angle, I left India and now settled in Denmark,” wrote one person, contrasting it with more healthy boundaries in workplaces overseas.
An Indian engineering supervisor added perspective from inside the system: “When certainly one of my group member’s father handed away, I instructed him to take two weeks off. I even scolded him for checking Slack on Sunday.” He emphasised that “work and shoppers can come afterwards” and that being a supervisor means shielding your group when life intervenes.
